Shangchan Hall

Shangchan Hall

Shangchan Hall, originally named "Jingde Hall," was first built during the Ming Dynasty. In the sixth year of the Kangxi reign in the Qing Dynasty (1667), Zongyan, a disciple of National Master Yulin, reconstructed it. In the 23rd year of Qianlong’s reign (1758), the then abbot monk Tianshi expanded the Guanyin Hall. The Duke Wang Wenxi bestowed the plaque “Elegant View Amid Clouded Woods.” During the Xianfeng era (1851–1861), it was destroyed in warfare. In the early years of the Tongzhi reign (1862), the abbot monk Kaixi raised funds to rebuild the hall. During the Guangxu era (1875–1908), Master Qingyong continued the construction of the Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall. In 1925, the abbot monk Xiaguang, recognized for his charitable deeds, was honored by then magistrate Ni with the plaque “Pioneer of the Buddhist Realm.” In 1928, the abbot monk Zhifang renovated the main hall, accepted resident monks, and welcomed pilgrims, making it one of the nine major monasteries of Mount Jiuhua alongside the Hundred-Year Palace, Dongya Monastery, Zhanyuan Temple, Ganlu Temple, Lotus Temple, and Leshan Temple. In 1933, the main hall was renovated again. From 1944 to 1953, Dalong and Zexia’anhu successively served as abbots. In 1957, part of the Guanyin Hall was damaged in a fire caused by a monk’s carelessness. It was rebuilt in 1987, covering a construction area of 1,280 square meters. In 1993, it was designated by the State Council as a nationally key Buddhist temple in Han Chinese regions.

The temple faces north while its main gate is uniquely located on the eastern wall. Above the gate is a lean-to structure, the Maitreya Hall. The Maitreya Buddha, with a big belly and serene smile, joyfully welcomes visitors from all directions. To the left is a small door; once you pass through it, your view suddenly opens up to the main hall of Shangchan Hall—the Mahavira Hall. Below the hall hangs a thousand-jin (approximately 500 kg) bronze bell, exquisitely cast, with Buddha images protruding vividly from around the rim, lifelike in expression. The Mahavira Hall consists of two connected chambers, features a four-sloped roof, and has an inner courtyard. The main hall houses statues of Sakyamuni, Guanyin, and Ksitigarbha, flanked by the Eighteen Arhats. All the statues are made using the traditional technique of coating lacquered hemp over a clay core, giving them a resplendent golden sheen. The beams of the main hall are adorned with exquisite wood carvings—both horizontally and vertically—including phoenixes with peonies, lions clutching balls, and dragons curling among the double eaves. These carvings are lively and captivating. Ancient people praised Shangchan Hall with three superlatives: “Among all temples on Jiuhua Mountain, Shangchan Hall is the poorest in wealth, but boasts the best scenery and most beautiful architecture,” winning great favor among literati and refined scholars.

At the rear courtyard of Shangchan Hall stands the Guanyin Pavilion, which enshrines the only dripping-water Guanyin statue on Jiuhua Mountain (this statue was consecrated in September 19th, 2003, by eminent monks from various temples). Beneath the Guanyin statue lies a spring known as the Golden Sand Spring. The spring water is crystal clear, with bright golden sand at the bottom, flowing year-round like a dragon emerging from a cave. Drinking it refreshes the soul; washing with it sharpens hearing and sight. On the rock by the spring are engraved three large characters: “Golden Sand Spring,” traditionally believed to be inscribed by the Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai. The calligraphy is bold, vigorous, and uniquely elegant. A poem reads: “On Shengguang Ridge stands Shangchan Hall, serene, elegant, and a gallery of ancient charm. Most famed is the spring inscribed by Tang’s Li Bai, whose golden words still scent the air after a thousand years.” Beside the spring grows a Money Tree, one of the Three Treasures of Jiuhua Mountain (the others being the Giant Salamander and the Bellbird).

The Money Tree exists in one specimen each at Zhanyuan Temple and Shangchan Hall. The tree stands straight, with dark trunks and green leaves. In spring, it grows long emerald leaves; in summer, thin strands sprout from the branches, resembling strings of coins—some with two or three coins per strand, others with five or six, and sometimes even a dozen or more. By autumn, these coin-like strands turn from green to yellow, covering the branches, hence the name Money Tree. Legend says that Li Bai, while leaning on his cane to buy wine, had coins hanging from the top of his staff. With no taverns in the mountains, he brewed wine on the spot using water from Tianchi. He planted his cane by the Golden Sand Spring, and unexpectedly, it grew into a lush Money Tree, its copper coins turning into leaves that shimmered golden in autumn, thus also called the Tai Bai Money Tree. This type of tree is rarely seen elsewhere and is scarce even on Jiuhua Mountain, thus considered one of its treasures.

Shangchan Hall, embraced by forests and springs, harmonizes with water features and boasts magnificent architecture. There are also rare trees and springs for visitors to admire and enjoy, making it a place people find hard to leave. Zhou Bin, a phonologist of the Qing Dynasty, was so moved by the elegant surroundings and pleasant scenery that he compiled the Jiuhua Mountain Chronicles here and composed a poem titled “Ode to Shangchan Hall in Seven-Character Regulated Verse”: “The hall is exquisitely designed, a unique gem of Jiuhua’s grace. Surrounded by waters and stone screens on three sides, windows frame ever-changing mountain scenes. Money Trees shed blossoms where immortals buy wine, Golden Sand reflects moonlight as Buddhas recite verse. Here, one may borrow the Bodhisattva’s mat, to paint, compose, or play music with delight.”

However, despite its idyllic scenery and unique location, since its opening, Shangchan Hall has gradually fallen into disrepair due to the lack of a permanent monastic community for management. But under the light of the Buddha, the hall shines anew. In 2000, the Jiuhua Mountain Buddhist Association invited Venerable Guozhuo, former vice dean of the Jiuhua Mountain Buddhist College, to restore this sacred site. Under his guidance, Shangchan Hall has regained its original spiritual essence.